Second Life: Brew up a Punch Needle Pal
Update: This workshop has sold out.
Please email Isabelle Sain (isain@textilemuseum.ca) to be added to the waitlist.
May 20, May 21, & May 22
1 – 4 PM
Free!
Summon a soft, squishy sidekick from the depths of your creative cauldron, let’s brew up a punch needle pal! Let the colours swirl and the characters emerge! We’ll begin with playful, abstract watercolour techniques to conjure up mysterious faces and whimsical beings from the page. Through guided prompts and intuitive mark-making, we’ll invite unexpected personalities to surface, some sweet, strange, all uniquely yours.
From your cast of painted characters, you’ll choose one special face to bring into the third dimension using hand punch needle techniques. With vibrant reclaimed yarns, tactile textures, and plenty of creative freedom, you’ll poke your new pal into life, one loop at a time.
This workshop is designed for beginners. This workshop is a joyful mashup of colour magic, character design, and soft sculpture. No drawing or punch needle experience needed, just curiosity and a love for creatures who live in the margins of imagination.
Participants will receive step-by-step hands-on guidance and support throughout the session, ensuring a comfortable and confident learning experience.
Registration is free and prioritizes access-seeking, disabled, and underserved communities who are looking to build community and grow within the arts. The Textile Museum is committed to making this workshop accessible and barrier-free as possible. If you have already attended a Second Life Workshop, please consider opening space for new community members to access these free workshops.
About Second Life: Sustainable Textile Workshops
‘Second Life: Sustainable Textile Workshops’ is a series of free; sustainability focused workshops developed with the Textile Museum of Canada and contemporary local artists. The series converges ecological thinking with art-making opportunities for our community. Starting in January, each month, the Museum will bring in an artist who confronts the climate crisis by rethinking materials and reimagining textile processes, decolonial methodologies, and sustainable craft traditions. Together, artist and participants will reform reused materials to create new works of art through a variety of techniques. These textile-focused artistic mediums will include weaving, embroidery, crocheting, quilting, natural dyeing, felting, upcycled fashion, or mixed-media fiber practices.
Facilitator Bio:
Alisa McRonald is a Canadian contemporary artist whose work bridges folklore, fantasy, and material memory through reclaimed fibres and handcraft traditions. With an international exhibition history spanning New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and across Canada, her work has been presented at venues including Craft Ontario, CAFKA Biennial, The Artist Project, and The Drake Hotel. She is the recipient of the 2024 Craft Ontario Rich Foundation Residency and a DesignTO Best Product/Design Award, and her work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar Japan, Untitled Magazine, and the Toronto Star. Rooted in DIY culture and community engagement, McRonald maintains both a studio and teaching practice, honouring the labour, memory, and emotional resonance embedded in reclaimed textiles.
Become a Member of the Textile Museum Today
And enjoy unlimited free entry to all the Textile Museum's exhibitions, plus much more.
Join Today
